My great-grandmother made this as a present for my father when he was still a child. We use it every Christmas.  She was born on February 1st, 1927 in Samuel, Virginia. Her father died when she was very little, and her mother couldn’t support them financially due to the Great Depression. She was raised by her aunt and uncle in Tennessee. They treated her poorly and most of the time she felt like she was a slave. She was a kind, caring mother, grandmother, wife, and daughter. She peaceful passed away on December  31, 2014. She lived a nice long, humble life, and was satisfied with what she has done some of her final words were, "I’ve had a good life, I was able to put food on the table, and have a place to sleep every night."  This object is a reminder of her and her charity and care for herself, her family, and her community.                    Inside a scratched plastic dome, is a Santa doll with blue eyes and large black pupils with carefully painted wrinkles on the sides of his eyes. On his belt is a golden sun, he is inside the dome with a white reindeer with golden antler and tail and a tree shorter than him.  Over the years he has lost a present that is supposed to be under his left leg and his right leg was supported with a pipe cleaner. The base is wooden and is decorated with red felt and thick golden thread. There is a metal crank under the base that when turned will play a continuous version of jingle bells as the dome slowly, and smoothly, rotate.

– HET

Relationship:  unknown unknown